I can’t say I’ve worn a fleece like this one before. It has the exterior of a softshell, the interior of a fleece, and the stretchiness of a good base layer. I’ve owned many fleece jackets over the years, but none has fit into that unusual niche. HIMALI has created something special with the Endeavor Fleece Hoodie, but it’s a specific creature. It works well for some activities and doesn’t quite fit the mold for others. It has strengths, and it has drawbacks, and it’ll serve the right person and activities very well.
HIMALI Endeavor Fleece Hoodie Features: retro hoodies
With all fleece pieces, I have to ask, “just what is this for”? Fleece is ambiguous that way. In my opinion, the HIMALI Endeavor Fleece Hoodie is best suited to either midlayer applications for cold-climate, low-output activities (like ice climbing) or just for being cozy. It’s not my pick for technical rock climbing or traditional mountaineering, but it’s a boon on ice and a winner around town.
Why not technical rock or mountaineering? Well, let’s talk through that in the positive. The Endeavor Fleece is very stretchy. It’s actually pretty incredible how happy this layer is moving around and flexing with you. Motions like swinging an ice tool high above your head often cause issues for upper body layers, but this sucker just flexes with it. The downside of that is that the material also catches on rock easily… so maybe not right for technical rock climbing unless you’re on a low-friction stone like basalt.
On a similar note, the Endeavor is warm. It’s accurately categorized as a mid-weight fleece, so it’s not crazy warm, but it does the job well as a midlayer for cold days. In my opinion though, it does the job a bit too well for high-effort slogging up mountains. The kind of hard effort that comes with hiking in the snow and post-holing up peaks in winter generates a lot of heat, and I found this fleece to retain too much of that. Natural venting is minimal, but wind still flows through it when it’s your outermost layer (like most fleeces). So, it’s warm, and that’s a good thing, but it’s not my pick for mountaineering as a result.
Ice climbing though – that’s where this piece shines. It stretches wonderfully, and it provides enough warmth alongside a base layer and a shell. It is ideal. I was out in Hyalite Canyon doing some ice climbing this December, and the combo of my Ibex merino baselayer, the Endeavor fleece, and my HIMALI Monsoon Hardshell was a real winner. With temps in the 20s and 30s all week, I was consistently comfortable.
The hood on this jacket is really notable. When you fully zip it up, you look like a scuba diver. It’s nicely fitted and has great coverage, if that’s what you’re looking for. Somehow, it’s also stretchy enough to fit over a climbing helmet, which I found really handy when I had to sit at the belay a little too long while ice climbing in Hyalite.
Not into ice climbing? Totally fine. That warmth and stretchiness happens to be quite comfortable walking around town. If I’m completely honest, the majority of my testing of the Endeavor Fleece was, in fact, general around-town use. Yes, I climbed rock with it, went mountaineering with it, ice climbed with it, hiked with it… but most of my time in the fleece was just cruising around Bellingham, doing what I do day-to-day. It’s great for that, and really cozy.
Two other things must be addressed. First, the pockets. There are 3 pockets on the fleece, all of which have zippers with large pulls on them. The breast pocket works well, but the 2 hand pockets are challenging to open, in spite of the large pulls. The material stretches so much that you need to use one hand to hold the top of the zipper, while pulling the zipper down with the other. One-handed operation is fruitless. Secondly, the price. $180 is high for a fleece. HIMALI often represents good value for very high-quality pieces, but the Endeavor departs from that trend a bit.
Fit: I’m 5’11” and a lean 170 pounds, and I tested a size large. The fleece fits close to the body and has all the proportions I’d expect and hope for.
Buy Now: Available at HIMALI
This fleece won’t be for everyone, but I think it’s an excellent piece when worn as an ice climbing mid-layer or a cozy stand-alone. It has a great fit, extremely stretchy materials, and an appropriate mid-weight warmth. It does have a tendency to snag when used as an outer for technical rock, and the zippered hand pockets are a challenge to open with or without gloves, but it shines in other arenas.
Nate Fearer is an outdoors enthusiast based out of Bellingham, WA. He grew up in Southern California, became entranced by Sierra Nevada alpine trips, and now finds that same sense of wonder in the North Cascades. Whether it's rock climbing, mountaineering, running, fly fishing, mountain biking, etc. etc., Nate just wants to be outside with the rocks and trees. When he's not in the forest thrashing gear, he might be behind the computer doing tech-y stuff or spending some quality time with his family. (Note: Nate receives sample products in exchange for authentic reviews. He is not paid, nor influenced to share anything other than his honest opinions.)
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